Reflecting God's Love Through Creation
The story of Melissa A. Canchola a.k.a. Smiles. :)
First of all, why the name Smiles And Stuff? I have used the name throughout the years in a 3D animated world called Second Life. I have used it to sell my virtual creations and things such as breedable animals and plants there. I even had a logo with what was supposed to be me, my avatar there, which a friend designed for me to use.
Also, I have used various versions of usernames with "Smiles," Smiley_Smiles," in Fallout 76 game, and Smiles Mornington" in Second Life.
Back in the early 2000's I was attending Cerritos College in Norwalk, California.
I was attending one of the easiest classes you can do, a swimming class.
One day after class. I suddenly got a panic attack. In, my case I couldn't think
right everything was overwhelming and was stuck with my arm extended in
front of me. My sister was scared, but she lead me to her car.
I ended up having them on and off in college. I would lay down to say Bible verses, even though at the time I wasn't a Christian, I thought I was. I remember moving to Ohio for a while with my Mom and I didn't have them then. But about a year or two after that. They got so bad that I wanted to stay at home. I got agoraphobic.
I then began watching Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN for short) nearly 24 hours (most of the stuff is bad theology on there, but I felt like I needed to hear from God). Until one day I was watching the evening show called "Praise The Lord," and I noticed Kirk Cameron I remembered him
from "Growing Pains," and had thought he was cute and a guy named Ray Comfort (who I thought was Australian at the time, but turned out to be from New Zealand. I don't know which one did which, but they preached "Hell's Best Kept Secret," and "True And False Conversion."
That night, it was like the light went on, February 16, 2004. I got down on my face to pray.I realized I was a false covert, someone who never turned to Christ for salvation, in the first place. I had been breaking the commandments, such as lying, stealing, never making God first in my life, coveting other people's, things, adultery of the heart (which is lusting after some one, hating some one (which is murder of the heart), didn't honor my parentsot, be obedient to them. The 10 commandments, the summary of God's moral law, "Love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul and might and love others as yourself.”
I had failed all them.
That's the bad news, but the good news is that God provided a way to be saved. Nearly 2,000 years ago God came down, as Jesus Christ, from Heaven and born of a virgin, what we celebrate at Christmas time and was fully God and Man, he had to be both to pay for our sins on the cross, what we celebrate at Easter time. He paid for them, like some one who pays a fine in court can go free. Those that don't will have to pay for their sins in the "lake of fire," called Hell. An eternal punishment, for sin against and eternal God.
Jesus rose again after he died on a cross to pay for sins of those who will come to Him for salvation alone. He sat at the right hand side of God and finishing His
work for salvation. If we on behalf of his payment have faith in that and trust in Him like some one does with a parachute for the fall to come. In our case the fall is eternal Hell fire..
he promises to make us a new creation, take away our sins, let us enter Heaven. Not every one automatically goes to Heaven, it can not be earned by any good works. That's like trying to bribe the judge of all the Earth, it won't work. It's Jesus goodness that we will get, His perfect sinless life that God sees as though you are clothed in it, after being washed by his atonement (payment in His life's blood. For more info on being a Christian see: "Save Yourself Some Pain."
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The Long Version
of the story
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